The present invention relates to a recording apparatus usable to make a recording on recording medium, in particular to a recording apparatus in which the movement of the recording means is prevented when the covering member is opened.
In the past, in the case of a serial recording type of recording apparatus, a single line of recording was carried out through scanning by the carriage, and then, a conveying or feeding mechanism was driven to move the recording paper by a necessary pitch for the next line and thereafter the recording operation is effected for the next line.
This type of recording apparatus is configured in such a manner that its carriage is parked at a predetermined location, in other words, a so-called home position, after the printing is finished. The above mentioned home position is set up beyond the range of the conveying mechanism, so that the carriage does not interfere with the conveying mechanism when a jam (paper jam) occurs and the conveying system is opened up to take care of the jam.
However, it is liable in the case of the above mentioned prior example, that the carriage is moved from its location as a user inadvertently touches the carriage while taking care of the jam, whereby the interference between the carriage and the conveying mechanism results in apparatus damages when the conveying system is opened up.
Also, generally speaking, the head section of those using an ink jet printing type recording means is capped to prevent ink from drying when the recording head is parked at the above mentioned home position, but there is such problems that it becomes impossible to cap the head section when the carriage is inadvertently moved as is explained above, or that the ink solidifies to prevent the normal recording if the head is left uncapped.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus in which the recording means is prevented from moving when the covering member is opened while a paper jam and the like are taken care of, and in addition, the interference between the recording means and the conveying means is prevented when the conveying means is opened up.
According to an aspect of the prevent invention, there is provided a recording apparatus provided with: a covering member, which can be attached to or removed from the apparatus main assembly, a conveying means for conveying recording medium; a recording means for carrying out a recording operation while moving along the surface of said recording medium; and a movement prevention means for regulating the movement of said printing means, depending on the open or closed state of said covering member, wherein said movement prevention means regulates the movement of said recording means when said covering member is open, and releases said recording means from the regulation by said movement prevention means when said covering member is closed.
As for the other means, the above recording means further comprises a releasing means for releasing said conveying means, and a release prevention means; wherein said release prevention means allows said releasing means to be operable only when said recording means is at a predetermined location, and regulates the operation of said release means when said recording means is not at the predetermined location.
In the above mentioned means, since the movement prevention means regulates the movement of the recording means when the covering member is opened, the recording means can be prevented from being inadvertently moved while a paper jam and such are taken care of, and since the above mentioned movement prevention means is activated or deactivated depending on the open or closed state of the above mentioned covering member, the above mentioned recording means can be reliably prevented from moving.
Further, since the conveying means is prevented by the release prevention means from being opened up unless the recording means is at the predetermined location, the apparatus damages, which may be caused by carelessness while the above mentioned paper jam is taken care of, can be prevented.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.